U.N. Leader Hits out at 'Outside Powers' over Syria Arms

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon and his Syria conflict envoy hit out Monday at "outside powers" for providing arms to rebels and the government that are fueling the murderous death toll.

The U.N. secretary-general and U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi both expressed "anguish" at the carnage in the 22-month-old conflict and the major powers' failure to agree to a stance on the war to push the two sides into talks, said Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky.

Brahimi is in New York for talks with Ban and other key officials before briefing the U.N. Security Council next week on his efforts to halt the civil war, which the U.N. says has left more than 60,000 dead.

Both men "expressed deep disappointment and anguish at the appalling levels of killing and destruction carried out by both the government and the opposition, fueled by outside powers providing weaponry to both sides," Nesirky said.

The U.N. did not name any countries. Russia and Iran are key arms suppliers to President Bashar Assad, however. The Syrian government in turn accuses Qatar, Turkey and other Gulf states of arming the opposition.

Ban and Brahimi also "expressed their consternation about the lack of a unified international posture that could lead to a transition as agreed at Geneva last June and put an end to the desperate suffering of the Syrian people," Nesirky added.

The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China and other key states agreed on a transition plan at the Geneva meeting with former Syria envoy Kofi Annan.

Russia and China have blocked three U.N. Security Council resolutions that threatened sanctions against Assad.

Moscow is now rejecting any transition that does not include Assad, at least initially. The Syrian opposition refuses to hold talks with Assad.

The United States and European powers have said that Assad must stand down.